Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-III in Himachal Pradesh for upgrading 3,125 km of rural roads.

He also laid the foundation stones for two hydropower projects the 48 MW Chanju-III hydroelectric project and the 30 MW Deothal Chanju hydroelectric project.

More than Rs 420 crore has been sanctioned by the central government under this phase of the PMGSY-III for upgrading 440 km of rural roads in 15 border and far-flung blocks of the state.

The two hydropower projects will generate over 270 million units of electricity annually and Himachal Pradesh is expected to earn annual revenue of around Rs 110 crore from these.

Earlier, Modi addressed a public meeting at the Indira Gandhi stadium in Una district after flagging off the inaugural run of the new Vande Bharat Express. He also laid the foundation stone of a Bulk Drug Pharma Park and inaugurated the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Una.

Modi accused previous governments of not providing people with facilities that were available to people elsewhere in the world even in the 20th century and in Gujarat a few years back.

"We will provide you facilities of the 20th as well as the 21st centuries," he said, addressing people in the poll-bound state.

"Our government is fulfilling the aspirations of 21st-century India. New India is overcoming challenges of the past and growing rapidly," Modi added.

The prime minister said people in Himachal Pradesh would now break the trend of voting different parties to power in every election.

"Earlier governments at the Centre and in the state failed to understand your needs. My government is not only fulfilling the needs of the people, but is doing it with full strength," he said.

Pharma, education and railway projects launched in Una will have positive impact on the region's progress, the prime minister said. "I am pleased to announce gifts worth several thousand crores for Himachal before Dhanteras and Diwali."

Modi further said the various projects which were inaugurated or whose foundation stones were laid in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday would greatly benefit the people.

He hit out at the opposition, saying 'Dev Bhoomi' Himachal has the grace of nature but previous governments did not do any work to fill the development gap and there was a huge gap between growth expectations. "After coming to power, we not only filled that gap but also wrote a new chapter of development," he said.

Modi said he was always concerned about connectivity in Himachal Pradesh, but the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express train has set a new record for the development of the state.

The prime minister further said the country has shown the power of medicines to the whole world and Himachal Pradesh contributed significantly to this work during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bulk Drug Pharma Park will write a new script for the development of the state and end the dependence on other countries for availability of raw materials for production of medicines, he added.

The BJP's double-engine govt will invest Rs 2,000 crores in the Bulk Drug Park project in Una, Modi said. The park will attract investments of Rs 10,000 crores to the state, and new avenues of employment will open up, he said.

Modi said medicines would become cheaper when both manufactures of raw materials and production are done in the state.

He said the double-engine government of the BJP was committed to improving railway connectivity across Himachal Pradesh. Education sector-related initiatives in Himachal Pradesh will immensely benefit its students, the prime minister added.

While starting his address in Una, Modi said, "I have spent a long time here. Whenever I come to Una, old memories flash before my eyes. I have got the opportunity to pay obeisance to Maa Chintpurni (temple) and seek blessings."

The prime minister was accorded a warm welcome by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on his arrival at the Pekhubela helipad in Una. The chief minister listed various "achievements" of the BJP government at the Centre and in the state, and urged people to vote for the party in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who was also present, said Prime Minister Modi made it possible for the people of Himachal Pradesh to have a Vande Bharat train whereas the previous Congress governments used to snatch facilities from them.

The Vande Bharat Express flagged off by Modi from Amb Andaura in Una will run six days a week, barring Wednesdays. It will have stops in Ambala, Chandigarh, and Anandpur Sahib on its route to Delhi. The introduction of the train is expected to boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel.

It is the fourth Vande Bharat train introduced in the country and is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speed in shorter duration. It accelerates to 100 Km per hour in just 52 seconds.

Modi laid the foundation stone of the Bulk Drug Park at Haroli, which will be built at a cost of over Rs 1900 crore.

The park will help reduce dependence on API imports. It is expected to attract investment of around Rs. 10,000 crores and provide employment to more than 20,000 people.

The prime minister also dedicated to the nation the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Una, the foundation stone of which was laid by him in 2017.